Fort Hood shootings: Muslims in the U.S. Army

There is a small Islamic population currently on active duty in the U.S. military.

Out of the 1.4 million service men and women, 3,572 are Muslim, according to U.S. Department of Defense figures.

And out of that number, just 1,164 are in the Army - which has over half a million soldiers.

Muslim recruits are treated just as any other soldier and are expected to deploy to American stations around the globe and fight for their country regardless of whether the enemy shares their faith.

Soldiers storm the grounds of Fort Hood as they help in the apprehension of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan yesterday. There is a small proportion of Muslims currently serving in the U.S. military

There are many cases of Muslims serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan and several have died on the battlefield.

Sergeant Youseff Mandour moved to America from Morocco at the age of 17 and joined the army five years later.

Now 25, he has recently returned from 12 months in Iraq and hopes for a lifelong career in the military.

'I’m fighting for a better life and a belief in freedom,' he said.

'I had a chance to get involved. I learned the English language and appreciate everything this country has given to me.

'That’s why I joined the Army. The U.S. is doing great things.'

The average age of Muslim soldiers is 21. Most are married, with one child.

Many U.S. bases, including Fort Hood, make provisions for their Muslim recruits to worship just as they would for any other faith.

A handful of organisations began - many after the atrocities of 9/11 - representing Muslims in the military.

Qaseem Uqdah, a former Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who heads the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council in Washington, D.C., counts upwards of 15,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and Coast Guards as members.

A spokesman for the organisation, established to serve the spiritual needs of the Muslim military, said of Sunday's shootings: 'We express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. We join the Community of Fort Hood, Texas in their mourning.

'Islam holds the human soul in high esteem, and considers the attack against innocent human beings a grave sin.

'This is a criminal act that is now best dealt with by the law enforcement community.'